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A torturous spate of terrorism that continues unabated for last many years has
brought Muslim Umma in general and Pakistan in particular into disrepute. There
is no gainsaying the fact that the Muslims on the whole oppose and condemn terrorism
in unequivocal terms and are not ready to accept it even as remotely related to
Islam in any manner. However, a negligible minority amongst them seems to give it
a tacit support. Instead of openly opposing and condemning terrorism, these people
confuse the entire subject by resorting to misleading and perplexing discussions.
Injustice being currently meted out to the Muslims in certain matters, double standards
displayed by bigger powers and their open-ended and long-term military engagements
in a number of countries, under the pretext of eliminating terror, form some of
the fundamental local, national and international causes that underpin terrorism,
and add a punch to the war cry of militants.

Similarly, the terrorists' recourse to violence, indiscriminate massacre of humanity,
suicide bombings against innocent and peaceful people, and bomb blasts on Mosques,
shrines, educational institutions, Bazaars, governmental buildings, trade centres,
markets, security installations, and other public places, which are heinous, anti-human
and barbarous steps in their very essence, have become a routine affair. These people
justify their actions of human destruction and mass killing of hundreds of innocent
people in the name of Jihad and thus distort, deform and confuse the entire Islamic
concept of Jihad (holy struggle against evil). This situation is causing Muslims
in general and the Muslim youth in particular to fall prey to doubts and reservations
besides muddling their minds in respect of Jihad because those perpetrating these
atrocities are from amongst Muslims. They practice Islamic rituals, perform acts
of worship and wear appearance delineated in Sharia. This has put not only the common
Muslims but a dominating majority of religious scholars and intellectuals too into
a paradox, bewildered to know truly the exact and precise Islamic injunctions about
the way of workings, methods and measures these individuals and groups have adopted
to cause the havoc.

Furthermore, the Western media is in wont of over-projecting the incidents and
episodes of terrorism and extremism about the Muslim world, and does not at all
highlight positive and constructive aspects of Islam, its peaceful teachings and
anthropological philosophy and orientation. So much so, that it does not even reflect
hatred, condemnation and opposition towards extremists, militants and terrorists
that permeate the Muslim societies. The negative outcome of this attitude has appeared
by way of bracketing both Islam and terrorism together. Consequently, the western
mind starts conjuring up the picture of terrorism and extremism at a slight mention
of the word 'Islam', putting the Western-bred and educated youth in a quandary,
leaving them more beleaguered than before. The present generation of Muslim youth
in the entire Islamic world is also falling victim to mental confusion and decadence
intellectually, practically and in the domain of beliefs and religious tenets.

Because of this situation, two kinds of negative responses and destructive attitudes
are forming up: one in the form of damage to Islam and the Muslim world, and second
a threat to the Western world in particular and entire humanity in general. The
damage to Islam and Muslim world is that the Muslim youth, not completely and comprehensively
aware of Islamic teachings, regard terrorism and extremism as emanating from religious
teachings and attitudes of religious people under the influence of media; hence,
they are getting alienated from religion. This misplaced thinking is leading them
to atheism, posing lethal dangers to the Muslim Umma in future. Contrary to this,
the damage threatening the Western world in particular, and entire humanity in general,
is that the above-mentioned policies and racial profiling of the Muslims is inciting
negative response among some of the Muslim youths who regard these forays against
Islam as an organized conspiracy and enmity by some influential circles in the western
world. By way of reaction, they are either gradually becoming extremists, militants
and terrorists, departing moderation and poised outlook on life, charged with hatred
and revenge, or are being grown and groomed into the design. Thus, the Western policies
are instrumental in producing and inducting new potential terrorist recruits and
workforce, with no end in sight. In both the cases, the Muslim Umma as well as humanity
are heading towards a catastrophe.

Moreover, these circumstances are heightening tension, creating larger trust
deficits between the Islamic and the Western worlds. The increase in terrorism is
paving the way for greater foreign interference in and pressure on the Muslim states.
This widening gulf is not only pushing the humanity towards inter-faith antagonism
at the global level but also reducing to nothingness the possibilities of peace,
tolerance and mutual coexistence among different human societies on the globe.

We thought it necessary, under these circumstances, to put the Islamic stance
on terrorism precisely in its right perspective before the Western and Islamic worlds,
in the light of the Holy Quran, Prophetic traditions and Books of Jurisprudence
and Beliefs. We want to put across this point of view before all the significant
institutions, valuable think tanks and influential opinion-making organizations
in the world so that the Muslim and non-Muslim circles, entertaining doubts and
reservations about Islam, are enabled to understand Islam’s standpoint on terrorism
more clearly and unambiguously. The contents of this research work have been summarized
here briefly.

The first chapter of this document, explaining and elaborating the meaning of
Islam, discusses its three grades i.e. Islam (peace), Iman (faith) and Ehsan (Spiritual
Excellence). These three words, both literally and metaphorically, represent peace,
safety, mercy, tolerance, forbearance, love, affection, benevolence and respect
for humanity.

It has been proven in the second chapter of this document through dozens of Quranic
verses and Prophetic traditions that the mass killing of Muslims and perpetration
of terrorism are not only unlawful and forbidden in Islam but also denote the rejection
of faith. Through reference to the expositions and opinions of jurists and experts
of Exegeses and Hadith, it has been established that all the learned authorities
have held the same opinion about terrorism in 1400-year-old history of Islam.

The third chapter of this edict describes the rights of non-Muslim citizens quite
comprehensively. The opinions of all the leading jurists have also been listed in
the light of various Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions.

In addition to that, the most important point this research study has undertaken
to make revolves around the thought, ideology and mindset, which pits a Muslim against
another and finally leads him to massacre innocent humanity. Such a mindset not
only regards the killing of women shopping in markets and School-going girls permissible
but also a means of earning rewards and spiritual benefits. What power or conviction
rouses him to kill people gathered in the mosque, and earn Paradise through carnage?
Why does a terrorist decide to end his own life, the greatest blessing of Allah
Almighty, with his own hands through suicide bombings? How he comes to believe that,
by killing innocent Muslims through suicide bombing, he would become a martyr and
enter Paradise? These are the questions whirling in the mind of every person possessing
common sense. While furnishing befitting answers to these emerging questions, we
have resorted to those historical facts, besides scholarly arguments, which the
Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) himself identified. Undertaking the
comprehensive analysis of signs, beliefs and ideologies of Khawarij through the
Quranic Verses, Prophetic traditions and jurisprudential opinions of jurists, we
have established that the terrorists are the Khawarij of the contemporary times.

After declaring this forbidden terrorist act rebellion, gory brutality on earth
and an act of infidelity, we have drawn the attention of all the responsible powers
and stakeholders under the topic, "Call to Reflect and Reform" to the need of eliminating
all the factors that cause people to entertain doubts, and reinforce the hidden
hands actively engaged in spreading the plague around. Another theme under discussion
these days emphasizes that since foreign imperialist powers are making unwarranted
and unjustified interference in Muslim countries including Pakistan, the so-called
Jihadi groups have come in their way to launch the offensive, inflicting upon them
a devastating blow. Their action though not right and justifiable, they should not
be reviled and condemned because their intention is to defend Islam. In our view,
this is an awful witticism and a deplorable stance. To remove the misconception,
we have specified a brief portion of the treatise in the beginning to this subject
as well, bringing to the fore the fact in the light of the Quran and Hadith that
evil cannot become good under any circumstances, nor can oppression transform itself
into virtuous deed due to goodness of intention.

After these explanatory submissions, we also regard it our fundamental duty to
let everyone know without any grain of doubt that we are going ahead with the publication
of this research work solely for the sake of respect and dignity of Islam and service
of humanity. We do not mean to condone or approve the unpopular and unwise policies
of global powers through this Edict, nor do we aim to justify the wrong policies
of any government including that of Pakistan. We neither seek pleasure of any government,
nor tribute or appreciation from any international power or organization. Like always,
we have taken initiative and are performing this task as a part of our religious
obligations. Our objective in doing so is to wash off the stain of terrorism from
the fair face of Islam, familiarizing the Muslims with real teachings of the Holy
Quran and Sunna and try to rid the suffering humanity of the raging fire of terrorism.

May Almighty Allah bless this endeavour with His benevolent acceptance through
the holy means of His Beloved Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him).

The questions striking minds and their brief answers

The heart-stabbing gory scenes of the acts of terrorism jolt the minds of all
the eminent and common people of the world with some gruesome questions that demand
satisfactory answers. We have attempted to serve detailed, logical and matter-of-fact
replies to these inquiries. Brief answers to these questions are appended here in
sequence, while their details have been presented in the same order in subsequent
chapters of this research work.

1. The first question in this connection that bothers all relates to use of force
to spread beliefs: Is it lawful for a group or organization to use force to promote
and put into effect their own creed and beliefs in the name of reforming others’
beliefs and ideologies, presuming themselves to be on the right path? Does Islam
allow, somehow, the killing of people maintaining ideological differences, looting
their wealth and properties and destroying mosques, religious places and shrines?

• Islam is a religion of peace and safety that champions love and harmony in
society. According to Islamic teachings, only such a person will be called a Muslim
at whose hands the lives and properties of all the innocent Muslims and non-Muslims
remain safe and unhurt. The sanctity of human life and its protection occupies fundamental
place in the Islamic law. Taking anyone's life for nothing and killing him is an
act forbidden and unlawful. Rather, in some cases, it amounts to infidelity. These
days, the terrorists, in a vain attempt to impose their own ideas and beliefs and
eliminate their opponents from the surface of the earth, killing innocent people
ruthlessly and indiscriminately everywhere in Mosques, Bazaars, governmental offices
and other public places are in fact committing manifest infidelity. They are warned
of humiliating torment in this world and in the hereafter. Terrorism, in its very
essence, is an act that symbolizes infidelity and rejection of what Islam stands
for. When the forbidden element of suicide is added to it, its severity and lethality
becomes even graver. Scores of Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions have proved
that massacre of Muslims and terrorism is unlawful in Islam; rather, they are blasphemous
acts. That has always been the edict unanimously held by all the scholars that have
passed in the 1400 year Islamic history, including all the eminent Imams of Tafseer
and Hadith and authorities on logic and jurisprudence. Islam has kept the door of
negotiation and discussion open to convince by reasoning, instead of taking up arms
to declare the others’ standpoint wrong, and enforce one’s own opinion. Only the
victims of ignorance, jealousy and malice go for militancy. Islam declares them
rebels. They will abide in Hell.

2. The second question in this regard is: what are the rights of the non-Muslim
citizens in a Muslim state?

• Islam not only guarantees the protection of life, honour and property of Muslim
citizens of an Islamic state, but also assures the equal protection of life, honour
and property of non-Muslim citizens and of those people too with whom it has entered
into a peace treaty. The rights of non-Muslim citizens enjoy the same sanctity as
those of Muslim citizens in an Islamic state. There is no difference between them
as human beings. That is why Islamic law metes out equal treatment to both Muslims
and non-Muslims in blood money and Qisas. Non-Muslims have complete personal and
religious freedom in a Muslim society. Their properties and worship places also
enjoy complete protection. Besides non-Muslim citizens, even the ambassadors of
non-Muslim countries and others working on diplomatic assignments have also been
guaranteed complete protection. Likewise, the protection of life and property of
non-Muslim traders is the responsibility of Islamic state. Islam does not allow
and recommend the use of violence against and killing of peaceful and non-combatant
citizens under any circumstances. Those indulging in attacks on peaceful non-Muslim
citizens, kidnapping them for ransom, and torturing them mentally and physically,
keeping them under unlawful custody, are in fact committing serious violation of
Islamic teachings.

3. The third question arises: does Islam offer manifest commands on the sanctity
of human life? Is it lawful to kidnap and assassinate the foreign delegates and
innocent and peaceful non-Muslim citizens to avenge the non-Muslim global powers’
wrongs and atrocities?

• The emphasis Islam lays on the sanctity and dignity of human life can be gauged
from the fact that Islam does not allow massacre even when Muslim armies are engaged
in the event of war against enemy troops. The killing of children, women, the old,
patients, religious leaders and traders is strictly prohibited. Nor can those who
surrender their arms, confine themselves to their homes and seek shelter of anyone
be killed. The masses cannot be massacred. Likewise, worship places, buildings,
crops and even trees cannot be destroyed. On the one hand, there is a clear set
of Islamic laws based on extreme discretion, and on the other, there are people
who invoke the name of Islam to justify the indiscriminate killing of people, children,
and women everywhere, without any distinction of religion and identity. It is a
pity that such barbaric people still refer their activities as Jihad. There can
be no bigger discrepancy than that seen around on earth. This can no way be permissible
to keep the foreign delegates under unlawful custody and murder them and other peaceful
non-Muslim citizens in retaliation to their interference, unjust activities and
aggressive advances. The one who does it has no relation to Islam and the Holy Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him).

4. The fourth and very significant question underlines rebellion: Is armed struggle
permissible against the Muslim rulers to remove their governments because of their
non-Islamic policies, or get accepted the demands, bring them on to the right path,
giving up their impious activities? Is rebellion permissible against the constitutional
government, its writ and governance? What should be the legitimate way to change
the rulers or make them mend their ways?

• Islam is not merely a religion. It is a complete Din, a code of life. Providing
a complete set of principles for every walk of life, it has also made arrangements
for the protection of the collectivity of society. The rights and duties of state
institutions have manifestly and clearly been spelled out. All citizens of Muslim
state have been placed under obligation to abide by state laws, rules and regulations.
One of these principles is that a Muslim state and society should be a paragon of
peace, and mutual coexistence. That is why Islam strictly prohibits the taking up
of arms against a Muslim state, challenging its authority and writ, and declaring
war against it. Islamic law holds such an action as rebellion. God forbid if such
conditions are created, then it is the principal responsibility of an Islamic state
to take urgent measures to eliminate rebellion with iron hand and exterminate terrorism
so that no individual or group can dare destroy the social harmony of society, ruin
peace and shed innocent blood. Islam holds the peace and tranquility of a society,
in general, and of a Muslim state, in particular, so dear that it does not allow
people to raise the banner of revolt in the name of injustice, oppression and other
vices of ruling elite. In the light of Prophetic traditions, the banner of rebellion
against a Muslim state cannot be raised unless the rulers commit explicit, declared
and absolute infidelity, and stop the performance of religious rituals like prayer
through the use of force.

The conditions leading to forbiddance of rebellion in the light of the Quranic
verses, Prophetic traditions and expositions of the jurists are evident. Referring
to Holy Companions, their successors, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafai,
Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal and other leading jurists, the fact has been brought to light
that absolute consensus exists among all the leading jurists on total forbiddance
of rebellion against Muslim state, and there is no difference of opinion between
any schools of thought. Such a rebellion as challenges the writ of the state, and
has been launched without the collective approval and sanction of society, is but
a civil war, blatant terrorism and an obvious act of strife. It can never be called
Jihad under any circumstances.

As for struggle to reform some impious Muslim ruler or state, that is not at
all prohibited or disallowed. The forbiddance of rebellion and armed struggle should
not mean at all that an evil should not be called an evil and no effort be made
to stop its spread, or the obligation of faith to bid good and forbid evil be abandoned.
Certification of truth and rejection of falsehood is binding upon Muslims. Likewise,
seeking to reform society and fight off evil forces is one of the religious obligations.
The adoption of all constitutional, legal, political and democratic ways to reform
the rulers and the system of governance, and stop them from violation of human rights
is not only lawful but also binding upon Muslims. Making efforts at individual and
collective levels to establish truth, end reign of terror and oppression and restoration
of a system of justice forms the part of obligations of faith.

5. The element of Khawarij is unforgettable in the history of terrorism. The
question arises: who were Khawarij? What does the Islamic law ordain about them?
Are the present day terrorists a continuation of Khawarij?

• The Khawarij were the rebels and apostates of Islam. Their advent took place
during the period of the Prophethood (blessings and peace be upon him). Their intellectual
growth and organized emergence took place in the Osmani and Alvi periods respectively.
These Khawarij were so punctual and regular in performance of religious rituals
and acts of worship that they would appear more pious than the holy Companions would
at times. However, in keeping with the manifest command of the Holy Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him), they were absolutely out of the fold of Islam. The Khawarij
would not only regard the killing of Muslims as lawful, reject the Companions for
their disagreement with them, raise the slogan 'there is no Command but Allah's',
consider the launch of armed struggle and killing against Hazrat Ali (ra) as lawful,
but would also keep on perpetrating these heinous actions. These Khawarij were in
fact the first terrorist and rebellious group that challenged the writ of state
and raised the banner of armed struggle against a Muslim state. The texts of Hadith
clearly establish that such elements would continue to be born in every age. By
Khawarij is not meant merely a group which took up arms against the rightly guided
Caliphs, but it encompasses all those groups and individuals bearing such attributes,
ideologies and terrorist way of action who would continue to rear their head and
perpetrate terrorism in the name of Jihad till the Day of Judgment. Despite being
almost perfectionist in the performance of manifest religious rituals, they would
be considered as being out of the fold of Islam for their wrong and misplaced ideology.
A Muslim state cannot be allowed to give them any concession in the name of dialogue
or stop the military action without their complete elimination in the light of instructions
of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). The only exception when they
can be spared is that they lay down their arms, repent of their actions and vow
to honour the state laws and writ of the Muslim state.

6. What are the measures that the government and the ruling classes should take
to put an end to mischief-mongering, terrorist activities and the armed strife?

• The government and the law enforcing agencies should, at the outset, remove
those stimulants and all the factors that contribute to make the common man a victim
of doubt. Due to these factors, the ringleaders and the chieftains of terrorism
snare the sentimental youths very easily in their trap, change their track and lead
them to militancy. Exploiting their sentiments, they prepare them for terrorist
activities. The policies, events and circumstances the terrorist elements use as
fuel for their evil agenda need to be remedied and set right on priority. That will
certainly help eradicate the root causes of the spread of plague. Similarly, if
the world powers as well as Pakistani agencies fail in attending to the real hardships
of people, removing their complaints and abandoning the deceptive policies, the
restoration of real peace will remain merely a dream.

7. Another important question under inquiry in various circles of society refers
to a dilemma: can we justify as lawful the atrocities of terrorism if they are done
with the intention to promote Islam and secure the rights of the Muslims?

• The Khawarij, even today, invoke Islam and raise slogan to establish the Divine
Order, but all of their actions and steps constitute a clear violation of Islamic
teachings. When their supporters do not have any legal argument to defend the actions
of Khawarij, they draw the attention of people to the vices of the ruling elites
and oppression of the imperialist forces as a justification for their killing. They
feel contented that though the terrorists are doing wrong things, their intention
is good beyond any doubt. This is a major intellectual faux pas and people, both
educated and uneducated, suffer from this doubt. An evil act remains evil in all
its forms and contents. Whatever way we may interpret injustice, it is going to
remain the same. Therefore, no forbidden action can ever become a virtuous and lawful
deed due to goodness of intention. Law in Islam applies to an action. Massacre of
humanity, perpetration of oppression and cruelty, terrorism, violence and bloodshed
on earth and armed rebellion and strife cannot become pardonable actions due to
any good intention or pious conviction. Nor is there any space for deviation from
this fundamental principle. Thus, this argument of terrorists and their well-wishers
is also false in the sight of Islamic law. Therefore, we commence our arguments
with the clarification of the same dilemma that an evil doing cannot change into
a pious deed due to any pious intention it supposedly generates from.

Good intention can never change a vice into virtue

If some good intention motivates bloodshed and massacre, the question arises
whether tyranny and barbarism can be declared lawful on this basis. Some people
think that though suicide explosions are atrociously evil, killing of innocent people
too is a monstrous crime, spreading mischief and strife in the country is again
a heinous act, while destruction of educational, training, industrial, commercial
and welfare centers and institutions is still a greater sin, the suicide bombers
are doing that with good intention and pious motive. Therefore, they are justified.
They are retaliating foreign terrorism against Muslims. They are doing a Jihad.
So, they cannot be given any blame.

In this brief discussion, we shall analyze this thought in the light of the Quran
and Sunna. The Quran rejected as disbelief the idol-worship that was perpetrated
with the intention to attain to nearness of Allah. We find a detailed account of
this matter in the Quran and Sunna. Some of the holy verses are produced here to
facilitate comprehension of the issue.

The Quran says:

“(Say to the people:) ‘Listen, sincere obedience and worship is only Allāh’s
due. And those (disbelievers) who have taken (idols as) helpers other than Allāh
(say in false justification of their idol-worship:) ‘We worship them only that they
may bring us near to Allāh.’ Surely, Allāh will judge between them concerning the
matter in which they differ. Certainly Allāh does not give him guidance who is a
liar, very ungrateful.” (Al-Quran, 39-3)

When the idolaters of Makka were asked the reason of idol-worship, they said
the idols would get them into Allah’s proximity. The intention to attain to Allah’s
nearness is good, but idol-worship is blasphemy and disbelief. The idolatry, therefore,
cannot be justified because of good intention.

Similarly, the terrorists’ claim of reformation too cannot be accepted because,
practically, they prove bloodshed and violence instead of some constructive work
and reformation. Allah Most High says:

“And among people there is also someone whose conversation seems to you pleasing
in the life of the world and who calls Allāh to witness that which is in his heart,
but in truth he is most quarrelsome. And when he turns away (from you), he runs
about in the land to do (everything possible) to rouse mischief and destroy crops
and life. And Allāh does not like mischief and violence. And when it is said to
him (on account of this tyranny and violence): ‘Fear Allāh,’ his arrogance stimulates
him for more sins. Hell is, therefore, sufficient for him. And that is indeed an
evil abode.” (al-Quran, 204-206)

These verses too describe that many people will make conversation appearing delightful
in the perspective of superficial arguments. They will swear on their good intentions,
and declare Allah witness to their noble objectives and pious aims. Despite their
assertions and testimonial claims, however, Allah has declared them miscreants and
evil-mongers to face the torment of Hell. So their swearing on their intentions
has been refuted because they are doing sheer terrorism, violence and strife. Their
crimes, therefore, cannot be forgiven due to their good intentions and noble designs
declared on oath. This is the basic principle drawn from the Quran and Islamic Law.

These Quranic verses explain the same point:

“When it is said to them: ‘Do not spread disorder in the land,’ they say: ‘It
is we who reform.’ Beware! (Truly) it is they who spread disorder, but they do not
have any sense (of it) at all.” (al-Quran, 11-12)

Here again the mischievous and criminal mentality has been described that the
miscreants never take their activities as disruption, violence and strife; rather,
they call it Jihad and deeds of reconstruction and reformation. They presume that
the tyrannous activities they perpetrate are aimed at greater good of society. Today’s
tragedy is that terrorists, murderers, mischief-mongers and rioters try to prove
their criminal, rebellious, tyrannous, and brutal blasphemous activities as a right
and justified reaction to foreign aggression under the garb of defense of Islam
and national interests.

They should know that, as good intention can never prove an unlawful act justified,
pious designs can never prove blasphemy as righteousness, and virtuous objectives
can never prove an impure act wholesome, the intention to perform Jihad, in the
same way, can never prove violence and terrorism lawful and permissible. The intention
to protect Islam, erect defense against foreign aggression and avenge the wrongs
and excesses inflicted upon Muslim Umma is one thing, and brutal mass murder of
innocent citizens, vast destruction of civil property, ruthless target killings
and destruction of mosques and markets and businesses is altogether a different
debacle. The former can never prove the latter lawful. The one has nothing to do
with the other; there is no relevance and congruity between the two. Terrorism,
carnage and mass destruction can never be justified in the name of any intention
of enforcing Islamic commands and judicial system. Nor can these condemnable activities
be any exception to the rule, or be overlooked, or forgiven.

The in-depth study of the Quran and Hadith makes one dauntlessly declare that
Islam makes it conditional to realize the lawful objectives only through lawful
means, to attain to the noble targets only through permissible resources and reach
the sacred destinations by treading only the righteous ways. A holy goal can never
be attained by following an evil and criminal path. Constructing a mosque is a pious
act, but it cannot be proved lawful to do it by looting a bank. The objectives of
mercy cannot be achieved through cruel and oppressive ways. The designs of an exalted
pious person cannot be materialized by adopting blasphemous methodology. In sum,
good cannot be earned by evil means. Fair is fair and foul is foul. This is Satan
who says, ‘fair is foul and fouls is fair.’ This is the majesty and purity of Din
that it has purified and reformed both the destination and its path. It has made
both objective and method pure and upright.

The people who base their argument on the Hadith, ‘actions are judged according
to intentions,’ in order to justify their brutal ways and cursed means, make false
and heretic implications. They cannot set a wrong thing right. This Hadith signifies
only those actions that are proved pious, permissible and lawful. Their acceptability
has been based on trueness of intention. If the intention is pure, they will be
accepted, or they will be rejected. If the intention is not good, or the coveted
intention does not exist, the actions will not be considered acts of worship, despite
their apparent righteous value. They will be rejected or discredited. But the actions
that are forbidden, unjust, unlawful and blasphemous cannot be made permissible,
lawful, just and creditable by even extremely good intentions joined together. This
is such an Islamic principle and legal formula as no one of the Companions, pious
predecessors, Imams, and authorities of hadith and exegeses has departed from to
date. Some scholars have also interpreted this hadith, ‘actions are judged according
to intentions,’ as pointing to manifestation of deeds according to intentions. The
actions take shape according to the intentions. So a terrorist’s actions speak of
his intentions. His killings and destructive activities refer to his foul intention
and condemnable ideas and beliefs. His heinous actions cannot stem from pious intentions
and beliefs. The bloodshed he causes refers only to a cruel man inside him and not
any kind and merciful soul. It is, therefore, evident that whatever false implications
and foul justifications these rebels, criminals, evil-mongers, tyrannous brutes
may put forth to prove their atrocities as act of Jihad, they have nothing to do
with the teachings of Islam.

The Holy Quran has vividly described them in this verse:

“It is those whose entire struggle is wasted in worldly life, but they presume
they are doing very good works.” (al-Quran, 18: 104)

Hadith Wilayat-e-‘Ali (A.S.) ka Tahqeeqi Jaiza

Mukhtalif Mahinon awr Dinon ky Fazail-o-Barakat

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Author

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has authored one thousand books in Urdu, English and Arabic languages. About 570 of these books have been printed and published. Some of these books have also been translated in many other languages of the world.

Note

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri receives no royalties from his publications which include his numerous books, DVDs and public speeches. He has dedicated all of his past, present and future royalties to Minhaj-ul-Quran International. >>